Molding-machine



J. N. FRANTZ.

MOLDING MACHINE- APPLICATION man SEPT. 5. 1918.

Patentd July 8, 1919.

ATTORNEY I |l1lh Ill v /i vll m5 CDLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60-. WASH the side of the pattern plate.

UNITED STATES r TENToFmc JEROME N. FRANTZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR' TO THE FOU N DRY APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW J ERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW' I JERSEY.

, MOLDING-MACHINE.

Patented ul 8, 1919.

Application filed September 5.191s. slam in. 252,693. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME N. FRANTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of-Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Molding-Ma chines, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relatesto molding machines, and particularly to arrangements therein, or attachments thereto, adapted to facilitate the separation of the parts of the flask and removal of the pattern from between the same. After the mold has been made in the sand within the flask, it is common, after the mold has been rammed up, to lift 'o-fi the cope or upper half of the flask by hand, then remove the pattern plate and then lower the cope onto the drag. In this operation, however, considerable skill is required to prevent lifting the cope and pattern unevenly, which is likely to injure the molded surface in the flask.

My invention is an improvement of that described in my Patent No. 1,227,? 7 3, dated May 29, 1917, which was designed tolovercome the diiiiculties referred to by the provision of a movable frame carrying fingers or lugs adapted to extend. under pins or lugs which extendfrom the side of the cope, and other lugs or pins which extend from By manipulation of this device, the cope may be suspended when the support carrying the flask is lowered, and after an interval the pattern plate is also suspended, the drag thereupon descending below the pattern ,plate, so that the latter is left spaced apartfrom the cope and the drag and may readily be removed. My present invention provides a device of the same general character, havlng improved features of construction designed to make the same more automatic and less dependcnt upon the intelligence of the laborer operating the machine. With my improved apparatus, no manual operation is necessary other than the raising and lowering of the parts, the device being selfadjustmg, so that'the cope'andthe pattern plate will be so engaged'by upward and downward movementsof the device and flask respectively that the separation of the parts will take place evenly and in vertical lines without the possibility of injuring the molded surface in the flask. The objects of my present lnvention' areaccordlngly to provide 1mproved constr'i'i'ctlons and combinations of parts, as will be more fully set forth herein after} v In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings 'forming'part of this application and illus trating certain embodiments of my invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 representsapartialffront elevation of a moldingma- 'chine'equipped with my invention, a two part flask withinterposed pattern plate beingshown'therein; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;. Fig. 3 is 'a'horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale, certain parts being shown in .top plan view; and Fig. L is a horizontal section taken on line 44: of Fig.1, illustrating a detail of construction.

. Referring to the drawings, the molding machine comprises a support indicated at 1, carried by'a piston 2 in an air cylinder 3. .The flask'is carried by support l and comprises the drag t" and cope 5 with the interposed pattern plate 16. g

' The two cross beams 7 7 carry the pressing plate or cope-board 8, which is adapted to enter'the top of the cope when the support israised or when relative movement is caused between -cope-board8 and supportl to decrease the distance between the same to ram thesand in theflask. Cross bars 7 7 are carried b-y'vertical arms 9 in the usual way, which'bars may be fastened in the upright position I I The cope'5 is provided with outwardly ex tending lugs*10',.10 on each of two opposite sides, and the pattern plate 6* is provided with a-pair' of similar outwardly extending lugs 11, 11 on each of the corresponding opposite sides. In my present invention, however,'lugs 11, 11, are out of vertical alinemerit-with; lugs 10, 10, as isshown in Fig. 2. A stationary frame 12-is mounted upon cross rails=7, 7, and carries the sheave; 13. Frame member 12 is provided with a slideway14whichextendsthrough the same for a considerable part of the height thereof, the side walls of this slideway being parallel to the cross rails 7 A block 15 is mounted for vertical reciprocation in slideway 14 and is provided'midway of its horizontal direction with a pair of outwardly extending cylindrical lugs 16, 16 which are adapted to move up and down in suitably formed verticalslots in the side walls of the slideway 14. A horizontally extending bar 17 is carried by and is firmly secured to the block 15 so as to extend outwardly equal distancesbeyond each of the outer side walls of support 12. It will thus be evident that bar 17 is free to reciprocate in a vertical direction and to oscillate about its lateral horizontal axis, but that it is not free to move bodily in the direction of its length.

Bar 17 has secured thereto adjacent each end thereof a bracket 18 which is provided with a cylindrical extension 19. Members 20, 20 are mounted midway of their ends upon the cylindrical members .19, 19, to extend transversely thereof, so as to be free to oscillate thereabout. Members 20 each take the form of a rectangular bar, the outer ends of which are cut away and formed into an upwardly extending hook 21 of curved crosssection. Members 20 may be held in place on their cylindrical bearings 19 by suitable means, such as the washer 22 and pin 23, indicated in Fig. 3. The amount of oscillation of bar 17 in the direction of its length, and the amount of oscillation of the members 20 in the planes of their lengths may be limited to relatively small amounts, as by stop pins suitably positioned.

Vertical members 24,24, two on each side of the machine are suspended from the curved hooks 21, 21, at the ends of the members 20, vertical members 24 being provided with openings 25 therein, through which hooks 21 may be extended. Members 24 are thus adapted. to hang vertically fromthe ends of members 20 and to have swinging movement about hooks 21, so as to hang vertically therefrom under the influence of gravity, despite the fact that members 20 may be inclined somewhat away from the horizon tal. It is desirable, however, to limit the swinging movement of vertical members 24 to a certain extent, and accordingly I prefer to provide brackets 26, 26, which aresecured to thebars 20 and extend upwardly and outwardly from points adjacent the outerends of each of the same. One of these brackets is indicated in top plan view at. the right of Fig. 3. Brackets 26 are provided at their outer and upper ends with Vertical openings, and vertical members 24 are provided at their upper ends with" portions 27 of preferably angular cross section which extend through the openings referred to in brackets 26 with a certain amount-of play, so as to limit the amount of oscillation of vertical members 24, as stated. The openings in brackets 26 are preferably oblong in section as shown to' prevent twisting of members 24.

Each of the members 24 is provided at its lower end with an offset portion or toe 28, which is adapted to engage beneath one of the lugs 10 extending laterally from the cope. Vertical members 29, 29 are secured to vertical members 24 and are provided with offset portions or toes 30 which are adapted to engage beneath the lugs 11, 11, projecting outwardly from the pattern plate 6. Vertical members 29 are offset from vertical members 24, since the lugs 11 are offset or out of vertical alinement with the lugs 10. Preferably, also, vertical members 29 are adjustably secured to vertical members 24, so that the vertical distance between offset portions 28 and 30 of vertical members 24 and 29v may be varied in accordance with the different dimensions of various flasks which may be handled. These objects may be suitably accomplished 'by securing a bracket 31, shaped as is indicated in Fig. 4, to each of the vertical members 24 adjacent the lower end thereof, each member 29 being secured in offset relation and at an adjustable height in or to one of the brackets 31. Each mem ber 29 may extend through a suitable slot in bracket 31, as indicated, and be provided with a series of openings or serrations 32 at different points in its length, through one of which the pin 33 may be inserted to lock the member 29 at its adjusted height in bracket 31. v

In the form of my invention illustrated, a flexible cord 34 extends around the sheave 13 and passes through a suitable opening at the top of frame member 12 to be secured to the sliding member 15 in guideway 14 at approximately the center of gravity of mem ber 15, bar 17 and the connected parts. This cord 34 is secured at its other end to a counterweight 35, adapted to slide on a suitable slideway 36 formed on the front of the frame member 12. Preferably, the counterweight is provided with an opening 37on its inner side, adapted to slidably receive a T-rail, or the like, which forms the slideway referred to, so as to hold the counterweight in alinement with the slideway, the latter preferably sloping downwardly and out. wardly. The bar 17 and the parts carried thereby may accordingly be raised and low ered into desired positions by moving the counterweightup and down by hand'on its slideway, the counterweight preferably being nearly equal in weight to the parts which it counterbalances. The counterweight 35, and accordingly bar 17 and parts carried thereby, may bev locked in any adj usted position by suitable means, such as an eccentric device 39 carried by the counterweight and provided with a hand lever 40, whereby the eccentric device may be moved into locking engagement as is indicated in Fig. 1. j

It will be noted that in'the operation of the devices described, no manual adjustwith the slideway, I

ment is necessary to cause the engagement of toes 28 or 30 of vertical members24 and 29 beneath the lugs of the cope and the pattern plate. When a mold is to be formed in a flask, the support 1 and flask carried thereby are raised into the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the cope-board 8 will press against the top of the sand in the flask, the vertical members 24 and 29 being in a comparatively low position out of the way. hen the mold has been formed, the counterweight is pushed downwardly to cause the offset portions 28 of members 24 to rise into engagement with lugs 10 of the cope, it being noted that oflset portions 28 will pass to one side of lugs 11 on the pattern plate and that the limited oscillation which mem here 24 are permitted to have is not suflicient to permit toes 28 to swing against or under lugs 11 as members 24 rise. hen toes 28 engage lugs 10, the counterweight may be locked in position, after which support 1 is permitted to descend, carrying the drag and pattern plate downwardly and leaving the cope suspended.

It will be noted that thevarious movements permitted the parts allow the toes 28 to engage firmly under all of the lugs 10 of the cope, regardless of any slight inequalities in the positions of lugs 10. This is true because the 'bar 17 is free to tilt about its lateral axis and the members 20 are free to tilt about their lateral axes. Accordingly, when the support 1 is lowered, the pattern plate will drop away from the cope evenly and there will be no possibility of the cope being tilted so as to mar the molded surface. The vertical distances between toes 28 and 30 are somewhat greater than the vertical distances between the lugs 10 and 11 on the cope and the pattern plate. Accordingly, the pattern plate and drag will drop a desired distance below the suspended cope until the lugs 11 on the pattern plate encounter. the toes 30, whereupon the pattern plate will be suspended and the drag will drop away from it, after which the pattern plate may readily be removed and the mold closed by lowering the cope by manipulation of handle 40 and counterweight 35, or by raising the support 1 and drag 4:. If there are cores set or other operations to carry on in relation to the drag, these may, of course, be attended to before the mold is closed, care being taken to properly realine the drag in position afterward.

That I claim is 1. In a molding machine having a vertically movable support for a flask, the com bination of a stationary frame above said support and having a vertical guideway, a bar extending horizontally through said guideway and mounted to slide vertically therein and to oscillate about a horizontal transverse axis, means for raising and lowering said bar, members pivotally mounted, intermediate their ends, on said bar, adjacent the ends thereof, to extend transversely thereto, and vertical members hung from the end portions of said first-named memhere, free to hang vertically therefrom in different positions thereof, said vertical members having oflset portions adapted to extend under lugs on a flask on said support.

2. In a molding machine, the .combination of a. vertically movable support, a flask having a cope and drag with a pattern between the same, adapted tobe supported on said support, said cope having laterally extending lugs on opposite sides thereof and said pattern having laterally extending lugs out of vertical alinement with said cope lugs, a stationary frame above the position occupied by the cope, having guiding means, a vertically movable frame having a part engaging said guiding means, means for raising and lowering said movable frame, and vertical arms carried by said movable frame, having oflset portions adapted to extend under said cope and pattern lugs respectively.

3. In a molding machine, the combination of a vertically movable support, a flask having a cope and drag with a. pattern between the same, adapted to be supported on said support, said cope having laterally extending lugs on opposite sides thereof and said pattern having laterally extending lugs out of vertical alinement with said cope lugs, a stationary frame above the position Occupied by the cope, having guiding means, a vertically movable frame having a part engaging said guiding means, vertical arms suspended from said movable frame, having offset portions adapted to extend under said cope and pattern lugs respectively, and suspension means for raising and lowering said movable frame, said movable frame'being formed and mounted to permit vertical movement of said offset portions relative to each other as they encounter said laterally extending lugs.

4. In a molding machine, having a vertically movable support for a flask, the combination of a stationary frame above said support and having a vertical guideway, a bar extending horizontally through said guideway and mounted to slide vertically therein and to oscillate about a horizontal transverse axis, said bar having cylindrical portions adjacent its ends, members jour naled, intermediate their ends, on said cylindrical portions, to extend transversely thereto, said members having end portions of curved section, vertical members sus pended from said end portions, for oscillation in all directions thereabout, said vertical members having offset portions adapted to extend under lugs on a flask on said support, and means for raising and lowering said bar.

5. In a molding machine, having a vertically movable support for a flask, the combination of a stationary frame above said support and having a vertical guideway, a bar extending horizontally through said guideway and mounted to slide vertically therein and to oscillate about a horizontal transverse axis, members carried by said bar, having ,ofl'set portions adapted to extend under lugs on a flask on said support, a sheave carried by said stationary frame, a cord connected to said bar, and extending over said sheave, a slideway on said frame, and a counterweight secured to said cord and mounted on said slideway.

6. In a molding machine, having a vertically movable support for a flask, the combination of a stationary frame above said support and having a vertical guideway, a bar extending horizontally through said guideway and mounted to slide vertically therein, said guideway having vertical slots in its walls and said bar having rounded lugs slidably mounted in said slots, about which said bar is free to oscillate, flexible suspension means secured to said bar in alinement with said lugs, and members carried by said bar, having offset portions adapted to extend under lugs on a flask on said support.

7. In a molding machine having a vertica-lly movable support for a flask, the combination of a stationary frame above said support, a sheave thereon, a frame comprising a pair of horizontally extending members, positioned to extend on opposite sides of the flask, vertical arms extending downwardly from said frame and having offsets adapted to extend under lugs on the flask, a flexible connection extending from said frame over said sheave, a counterweight carried by the opposite end of said connection, a guide on which said counterweight is mounted, and means for locking said counterweight in desired positions to said guide.

8. In a molding machine, the combination of a vertically movable support, a flask having a cope and drag with a pattern between the same, adapted to be supported on said support, said cope having laterally extending lugs on opposite sides thereof and said pattern having laterally extending lugs out of vertical alinement with said cope lugs, a stationary frame above the position occupied by the cope, having guiding means, a vertically movable frame having a part engaging said guiding means and having horizontal arms pivoted midway their length, on opposite sides of said flask, vertical arms suspended from said horizontal arms, so as to have limited oscillation about their points of suspension, and having offset portions adapted to extend under lugs on said cope,

extensions of said vertical arms oflset therefrom and having offset portions adapted to extend under lugs on said pattern, and means for raising and Lowering said movable frame.

9. In a molding machine having a vertically movable support for a flask, the combination of a stationary frame above said support, having a vertical guideway therein, a bar extending horizontally through said guideway and mounted to slide vertically therein and to oscillate about a horizontal transverse axis therein, suspension means for raising and lowering said bar, members pivotally mounted, intermediate their ends, on said bar, adjacent the ends thereof, to ex tend transversely thereto, vertical members extending downwardly from the end portions of said first named members, having ofl'set portions adapted to extend under lugs on the cope of a flask on said support, and extensions of said vertical members having offset portions adapted to extend under the lugs on the pattern of said flask, said first named offset portions being so positioned as not to engage the lugs on the pattern when said bar is raised.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22d day of August, 1918.

JEROME N. FRANTZ,

Witnesses DYER SMITH, FRANK BALVIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

